by Kirby Hasseman
This time of year there is a lot of talk about “traditions.” Sometimes we lean on them and they remind us of times with family and friends. They can be powerfully positive. But often today, I tend to hear about them with the lamenting tone that comes when people complain because they are not here any more. “No one does (blank) anymore. It’s a shame.” Here’s the thing. I like (some) traditions as much as the next guy. They can remind us of positive times and warmer times. They might remind us of loved ones. That’s all good. But sometimes, traditions are just lazy. We use them as something to hide behind. 1. We do things because we have always done them.2. We use them as a reason to blame others for our own unhappiness. If you are frustrated that people are not “respecting traditions,” then I want to give you some food for thought. Traditions Began Somewhere: All traditions started somewhere. Your amazing grandmother might have created that family tradition because it was something she enjoyed to do. She might have wanted to share that with the family. But they started somewhere. They have not ALWAYS existed. Traditions Can Evolve: As times change (and they do) maybe the tradition should too. It’s great to be reminded of good times in the past. It’s not great to be chained to them. Make it fun for the next generation. You Can Start Your Own Tradition: That sweet Grandma that started an amazing family tradition all those years ago did not just start a tradition. She showed you the way. If you want to continue to honor that memory, maybe you should take the lesson…and create your own. So many times we wait for someone else to be the one to make the choice, start the line, create the memory. Don’t wait. Make your own memory. Create your own tradition. Make sure you never miss an update! You can start the tradition of getting our VIP newsletter! Sign up here.
by Kirby Hasseman
We have all been there. It might be a situation or a person, but we have all had that moment. It’s a place I like to call “At Wit’s End.” Let me paint a picture. You know you have a busy day, so you make it a point to get up early. Your alarm goes off, and you are just plain tired. But because of your full day, you drag yourself out of bed. When you head through the darkness to the kitchen to make coffee, you stub your toe on the coffee table. Then you make coffee and you sit down to get started on your computer. But the puppy hears you up and starts to bark. In order to keep him quiet, you run up to get him and take him outside. While you are outside the coffee overflows and makes a mess on the kitchen floor. While cleaning that up, the puppy makes a mess by the door (you were just out!). This series of events continues and, despite getting up early, you get nothing pro-active done for the day. You take a deep breath. It’s fine. You can just get ahead once you get to the office. But the trend continues. You get cut off in traffic. You spill your coffee on yourself on the way. You get stuck behind a train. You get a nasty email from a client. Then you get a nasty follow up email from the boss (who was copied in on the client email). The day just spirals out of control. You are “At Wit’s End.” In order to take a break you head to get some Sprite out of the fridge. You had some in there for moments like this. But you reach into the box and the Sprite is gone. Someone had helped themselves to your drinks! Naturally…you lose your mind. You yell to everyone in the office! You throw the box. You stomp, carry on and generally throw a tantrum. And all anyone in the office knows is someone took your last $.50 can of sugar water. Jeesh. What a baby. But you and I know it wasn’t the Sprite. It was a whole series of unrelated events that led you here. The Sprite was just “the last straw.” We understand the concept of “the last straw.” Most of us have used it or heard it on more than one occasion. But have you noticed, it’s always in the negative. I get it. That’s just the connotation. But have you ever considered it a different way? Let’s take sales. You have reached out to the prospect again and again. You feel like they are a great fit. They have even given you some positive feedback. But time after time, you send proposals and presentations…and nothing. You have been charming and professional. You just can’t seem to break through. Then one day, after a seemingly innocuous email, they take the next step! It wasn’t that you were more brilliant on that point of contact. It was just “the last straw.” Or how about Content? You have written that blog over and over. You work to cover interesting topics and give your specific take. You have a point of view. It’s well written. It’s targeted to a great audience. But day after day, week after week, very little action is happening. Then one day it changes. One day a blog takes off. It gets shared. It drives leads. It hits the mark. Was it that this particular blog was the best one yet? Or was it just “the last straw?” Keep showing up. Keep providing value. Keep doing your good work. You never know when this will just be “the last straw.” Make sure you never miss an update! Today might be the last straw for you. Sign up for our VIP newsletter here. We gather each piece of content and send one email, so you have them in one place. Sign up here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. It seems like the whole world starts trying to celebrate Christmas after Labor Day. But I like the idea of gathering with family and friends, with no gifts, and being grateful. And this week I have talked a bit about being grateful and kind in our lives here. But today I wanted to say “thank you” to you. Yes…you. Since May 31st I have been writing a blog post here every day. It’s been fun on some days and a struggle on others. But I have put something up here each day. And today, it occurs to me, that many of you have read quite a few of them. That means a lot to me. So I am grateful for you. In honor of that, and in honor of those that have joined in along the way, I have decided to share some of the most read blogs here. 5 Books I Recommend: There are some cool books on this list, and it ties to my podcast. But this one took off because my good buddy, Jeff Haden, shared it! He is a Linkedin influencer (and this features one of his books). I Am Not For Everyone: This is one that caught we off guard. I took this from a conversation I was having and post it at the last minute. But it must have struck a nerve! Sometimes authenticity and vulnerability matter. 3 Lessons from Bohemian Rhapsody: My wife and I enjoyed this movie (regardless of reviews) and it made me think. I woke up the next morning thinking about the band’s journey. Here is what I took from it. 5 Lessons from Skucamp: It’s funny. This event has obviously left an impression with me. I posted about it yesterday here. But my original post about my lessons from the overall event still have people checking it out. 5 Book I Want My Daughters to Read: Yes, I am all about books. But this book list is foundational for personal development (from my perspective). Check out the list here…and read them! So like I said, today I want to say “thank you.” I really appreciate you taking the time to read, engage, share and grow! Let me know if I can help you! Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here! Each week we put together one email with all of the content of the week and send it to you!
by Kirby Hasseman
I love going to events that educate and inspire me. For me, it’s a great way to get out of the whirlwind, and learn and create ideas. One event I had the chance to attend this year was Skucamp. I talked about 5 of the takeaways from the event here. I was also honored to speak at the event with my good friend Bill Petrie. Bill and I took on the topic of Content Marketing in pretty raw form. We were honest about how we got started, and our struggles in doing so. And hopefully we were a little funny too! Here is a link to the presentation. This presentation is for: *Anyone that wants to do Content Marketing…but is not sure how to start. *Anyone that is not sure Content Marketing actually works. *Anyone that has tried Content Marketing in the past and failed. Bill and I also dig into our overall philosophies about Content Marketing. Feel free to check it out and let us know what you think! Make sure you never miss an update. Sign up for the VIP Newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
How does your day start? What are the first things you think about? What are the first things you do?
If you are like most people, you start your day thinking about the yesterday. You might be stressed about the work you did not get done…or the bills you did not pay. You might be mad about a conversation with a co-worker or a spouse. Or you might be worried about things coming up today or tomorrow. You are thinking about all you have to get done. You worry about the meeting you will have or the project that is nearing it’s deadline. You are stressed that there will simply not be enough hours in the day to get it all done.
Either way a few things are true;
1. You are not living “in the now.”
2. You have started your day in stress mode.
Dr. Joe Dispenza talks about this phenomenon in his book Becoming Supernatural. It’s no wonder, he says, that we feel like we are living the same day over and over again. We start each day in the past! By the way, I totally get it. I struggle with this a ton too. My natural state is “go, go, go.” That means when I wake up, my brain is ahead of me. I struggle to not start my day “on the wrong foot.” It’s a daily struggle. So what do I do? Each morning, especially on those days where I can feel my stress taking over from the start, I do three quick things.
1. I Take a Deep Breath: The whole goal here is to slow my heart rate down. There is no sense in starting the day in stress mode. I know that intellectually. But this simple exercise helps me take control of my physiology.
2. I Make a Quick List of Things I am Grateful For: I talked about the power of this yesterday. The fact is, you can’t be upset or negative when you are grateful. So by re-setting my mindset to gratitude, it helps me to get back on track, mentally.
3. I Get Up and Start Taking Action: For me, a ton of the anxiety I feel comes for worrying about the problem…whatever that problem is. Once I get up and start working on the project, I feel better. For me, nothing cures worry like taking action on the problem. So on this week of Thanksgiving…gratitude wins again. Let me know if this helps you…or share with me your “go to” morning strategy!
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